Repressed Memories
by youngsavage
Summary: What if Natsu slowly retained the memories that entailed the times before Igneel? How will this change affect Natsu, the world and those around him? Follow his journey towards discovering his destiny and identity in a world of chaos. [DEAD]
1. Meeting Under the Stars

_**A/N:**_ _So, this is my first attempt at writing any sort of fanfiction... at all! I've had a couple of ideas for a few different stories floating around, and decided to attempt writing this one. I have no true update schedule, however, feedback will encourage me to continue if it is desired. I can't promise anything completed or a masterpiece, however, I will try my best. Depending on the feedback I receive will also affect this. I am open to all criticism or ideas any of you have, so feel free to PM me, or review. Let me know what you think of this story, and the idea as a whole! Well, no more stalling, let's get right into it._

 _Chapter 1: Meeting Under the Stars_

 _The countryside outside the Capital City Mildian: Year x377_

A calm breeze shifted through the night sky, rustling the dust that made up the small valley. A full moon hung in the night sky, with stars shimmering all around it. A perfectly calm night, however the terrain contrasted the serenity of the hills outside Mildian. The grass and trees had withered away into nothingness; what was once a beautiful valley filled with life, now was a dusty and lifeless area.

However, there was one man that tread the desolate path. This man had raven black hair, torn clothes and a worn expression on his face. From his stature, he seemed to be in his late teens or early twenties.

' _Why? Why does this have to happen to me?... I only wished to have my little brother back, is this truly justice for the sins I have committed?_ ' A tear slipped down the man's face, as he contemplated the recent events that had torn his world apart. ' _I-I just wish that this pain would go away. I wish that one day… I could die…_ ' Tears continued to flow down the man's soft, yet broken face, and try as he may, they would not stop from flowing. ' _It's my fault that I could not protect_ him _and it's my fault that he is how he is now'_. Continuing his way out of the valley, and into the forest where his planned meeting was to take place, Zeref's thoughts could not stray away from a certain pink haired boy that was occupying his thoughts…

"... Natsu… "

After uttering those words, the trees up ahead bristled with motion. Taking a defensive stance, Zeref prepared for any sort of monster or enemy that could potentially attack him. Looking to the sky above, this stance quickly dissipated, as he smiled slightly, realizing who it was that was approaching him.

All of Earthland was busy rebuilding and reforming itself after the events of the devastating war. Although it has been 4 years since that war had ended, the damage dealt was great indeed. A war that consisted of demons, dragons and mages. It had become known as the Dragon King Festival; a devastating war that took the lives of many, nearly bringing the destruction of the entire planet. The casualties on all sides were many in number.

Most people at this time would not dare to approach or to form contact with a dragon, however, Zeref was no ordinary mage. He had built himself a lofty reputation over the past few years as a 'The Dark Wizard'.

' _Besides, it's not like I can die anyways… after what happened…_ ' the man thought bitterly. A confrontation with a dragon was not in the least of Zeref's worries.

"Igneel, I presume, it has been quite some time since we have last spoken face to face."

" **Indeed it has, Dark Wizard Zeref."** Cringing slightly at the mention of his title, Zeref continued, "It has been 4 years since that fated day, how has Natsu been during this time? Training hard I presume?"

" **Hmpphh… he is an intriguing boy. At times I wish he would dedicate his enthusiasm and energy in the trainings and teaching I, The Great Igneel, am passing onto him! However it is that great enthusiasm that draws me to him. I can't deny that I care for the boy greatly, he is like a son to me.** " Igneel proudly remarked, finishing rather softly with his affectionate words towards Natsu.

Zeref chuckled softly and smiled after hearing Igneel's words. It was just like the Natsu he knew to be excited as Igneel described him as. The pleasant thoughts comforted his broken heart.

"I see… I truly appreciate what you've done for Natsu and I. I wished that Natsu could experience a normal life and the love he desires by giving him to your care. However… I realize that this happy, care-free life may be coming to an end with the future that is in store for him."

" **You are referring to the plan to stop Acnologia, are you not?"** Igneel remarked. It was a plan that had been formulated by a few dragons, including Igneel. The goal was to send the dragonslayers into the future, where magic was overflowing, to allow these dragonslayers the chance to develop; the ultimate purpose of this is to say the monster that was known as Acnologia. The self proclaimed Dragon King, who was originally a dragonslayer transforming into one after bathing in the blood of countless dragons. He rose in power throughout the Great War, and his violent and destructive ways have not ceased to stop.

"Yes, this was not the sort of life I had wanted Natsu to live, however I am happy that he had a chance to call someone father, after all the pain he has been through. Natsu will face trials in his future that will lead him to his destiny; a destiny that requires him to bring peace to the world by slaying the one known as Acnologia." Zeref had wished there was another way for them to defeat Acnologia, however the plan formulated by one Anna Heartfilia and Igneel was the only sensible option they had at the moment.

" **The time soon approaches where the young ones shall be sent to the future. Are you prepared to let Natsu go forever?"** Igneel asked of the young mage.

"Nothing will prepare me to let go of the only family I have left. But this _Curse of Contradictions_ will make it impossible for me to ever know him again. I have resolved myself into allowing what is best for Natsu to happen." Zeref honestly but painfully answered. Zeref was glad that all the terrible memories of Natsu were sealed away in _that_ book. In truth, Zeref merely seized _those_ memories and powers because he did not want him to experience any more pain than he has. He wished Natsu to live a happy life.

" **I see… and what shall you do? Shall you allow this curse to steal the life of others? I can not simply allow you to needlessly end the lives of others, regardless if your curse is responsible."**

"You need not to worry." Zeref looked into the night sky, deep into the celestial plains, as if analyzing the galaxies with the naked eye. "This world…. this pitiful world... A world that is full of pain and sorrow. This world has rejected me, and so I shall live my life as a reject, wasting away my days in solitude. Maybe then I shall find the peace I seek." Zeref looked back at Igneel, who was looking quite conflicted at the moment. "It has been good conversing with you, Igneel, you are a person I consider to be a friend, amongst a world of evil. I shall see you tomorrow when the plan will be initiated."

" **It has been good conversing with you as well, Zeref. However, there is one more thing that I must tell you."** The large dragon looked away, seeming a tad sorrowful.

"Yes what is it?"

" **Anna has told me… the plan may affect the repressed memories that Natsu carries deep within his subconscious."** Zeref's eyes instantly focused onto Igneel. "What?!"

" **It is true. She explained that the extreme influx of magic that his body will undergo could possibly undo the seal that was placed over his memories. She insists that there is no other possibilities that could be of a negative effect to any of the slayers. However… I thought it best to tell you now. You are still okay with commencing the plan, are you not."** Igneel glanced back to gauge the mage's reaction.

A thousand thoughts roamed through Zeref's head, yet he managed to formulate a response. "I-I see… those memories could be…" Zeref focused his gaze back to Igneel. "Either way, this plan must proceed, I can not allow my personal feelings to draw back the plan. I shall see you tomorrow night than." Zeref quickly made his way out of the clearing before Igneel had the chance to bid farewell

' _Is it truly possible? Could Natsu gain back his memories by sending him into the future?'_

A million different possibilities ran through Zeref's mind, but he quickly put them to rest. His needless worry would not change the outcome, it would only further worry himself. But… Zeref couldn't stop wondering.

' _What would change if Natsu's repressed memories were unlocked to him?'_


	2. Early Beginnings

Chapter 2: Early Beginnings

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Onyx eyes slowly opened to view the plain blue sky's above. Blinking away any sleepiness that was currently plaguing him, Natsu slowly rose into a sitting position. He was currently wearing a crimson sleeved-shirt with baggy yellow pants that went just below his knees. Wiping away any dust that lingered on his clothings, Natsu stood up to prepare himself for another day. Stretching himself and sighing in relief, Natsu then loudly exclaimed. "ALRIGHT IGNEEL! I'm getting hungry! Where's the darn breakfast?!"

Today was an important day for Natsu. The date didn't really matter to him, however, it was a Saturday. Saturday's usually meant that Igneel would give Natsu a day off from the 'hellish and boring training', and allow Natsu to have a little fun for once. ' _Jeez, that overgrown lizard should cut me some slack! I'm super strong anyways, I shouldn't be training that hard, should I?'_ With these thoughts in his head, Natsu set out on a walk to search for Igneel, who seemed to be not within the same area as Natsu.

' _Maybe it's another one of those tests? But I've pretty much perfected my senses, that would be too easy.'_ Although not particularly worried yet, Natsu continued his search. "IGNEEL! IGNEEL WHERE ARE YOU!" Natsu huffed in annoyance, ' _Damn lizard, today was supposed to be a fun day…'_ Nevertheless, Natsu continued in his search for Igneel, faintly recalling today's date. July the 7th.

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The sun was setting, and the monsters of the night would soon reveal themselves, and still, Natsu had found no trace of his father. Natsu was beginning to worry; it wasn't like Igneel to just leave him like that. " _Could it be… that he left me?'_ Panic quickly made it's way through his chest, but Natsu instantly shut those negative thoughts down. ' _He'd never do that, it's just not possible! He's the only family I have left… the only thing I can remember in my life is having Igneel with me.'_ If Igneel were to suddenly disappear, Natsu wasn't sure what he would do.

Natsu does not remember a time before Igneel; he was aware that there was years in his life that his memories did not cover. He did not think much of this, except for the fact that Igneel was a constant in his life. Igneel was always there for Natsu, and Natsu depended on him. If he were to leave him now…

"IGNEEEEEELL!"

The world around Natsu was silent, save for the clouds up above that were rumbling in anger. A storm was fast approaching. Natsu knew that the storms of this area were strong indeed; he would need to find shelter quickly before he was overcome by the rain and wind.

As Natsu approached the entrance of a cave he had found, the rain and thunder intensified. Thankfully Natsu had found shelter, however his search for Igneel would come to an unsatisfactory yet momentary end. He would continue his search tomorrow, and for the rest of his life if it was necessary. Different thoughts stirred his mind, possibilities and scenarios crossed his mind on Igneel. He wondered if he would ever see him again. Before falling asleep, Natsu determined himself that he would continue to search, no matter what happened.

' _...Igneel…'_

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It has been a week since Natsu has began his search, and his efforts have still not been enough to find Igneel. In each passing day, Natsu would lose some of that hope and confidence he held on the first day of his search, yet he carried on. Wallowing in pity would achieve nothing, Natsu was aware. In order to achieve results he had to carry on, he knew no other option.

Sighing heavily, Natsu decided that it was time to call it quits for the night; he might as well get as much rest as he can so he can begin his search first thing in the morning. Gathering wood from branches nearby and some old logs that he had found, Natsu created a fire to keep him warm during the night, with a little help from his magic. It was not the actual heat of the fire that granted Natsu warmth; his magic made it impossible for him to be cold in conditions like these. The bright, orange flames with hues of red and yellow that burned brightly and brilliantly, this is what provided Natsu with inner warmth and comfort. The sight of a familiar flame and the glow it left surrounding him reminded him of Igneel; the warm nights wrapped around by his tail, snuggling against his smooth belly. This is what Natsu truly desired, a form of comfort as he slept.

Unknowingly tears slipped down Natsu's face at the thought of Igneel. The Fire-Dragon King was never one to usually convey his affection through physical means, usually showing his care through the rigorous training and teachings. Although he would not openly admit, Natsu still enjoyed those teachings with Igneel, simply because he could spend more time with him. Being around Igneel made Natsu feel wanted and loved. A desperate need that had been the cry of his heart for a long time.

Now, Natsu never really enjoyed opening up his feelings and thoughts to others, others being Igneel since he hadn't really met anyone yet, but deep down in his heart he had always seeked to be loved and accepted by others. Most of the time, Natsu would act rash and stubborn, simply because it was the easiest way to express himself. It was so much harder to put his feelings into words anyways.

These thoughts stemmed from the missing memories he had from his time before Igneel. He always wondered about his family before Igneel, aware that he had to come from human parents. A slight blush crossed his features, remembering _that talk_ that Igneel forced into his brain. However, he always wondered, what were my parents like? Were they nice people? Did they really love me? Did they abandon me? He wished that he had some memory of his real parents, even if they weren't the greatest or the kindest people, he simply wished to know. He wanted to find some form of closure so he could move on from his sorrow; than he could concentrate his thoughts and efforts on Igneel.

The thought of being abandoned twice now tore Natsu apart. He nearly broke out into tears, but he forced himself into control; ' _crying won't solve anything, idiot'_. Wiping the few tears at the corners of his eyes, Natsu continued to think about his parents, both human and dragon, and eventually grew tired (and sad). Deciding to finally go to sleep, Natsu lied beside his campfire, preparing to finally receive rest.

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It was so sudden, like a flash of lightning across the night sky. If it hadn't been so vivid, Natsu would have convinced himself it wasn't real. A gasp escaped Natsu's throat as a painful headache overtook him. However he couldn't concentrate on the pain he was experiencing, his thoughts fixed on the brief flashes of images that crossed pass his eyes.

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' _Natsu, you know better than to bring frogs into the house. I know you are having fun, but they make a mess of the kitchen, and are very hard to catch!'_

' _Sorry… Mom'_

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' _Sweetie, come here, let me see it' Sniffling gently, Natsu made his way to the beautiful women, soft features adorned on her face with raven coloured hair tied up in a bun, with a few bangs covering her forehead._

 _He sat beside the woman, and placed his arm on the woman's lap. Smiling gently, the woman took a wrap to cover the bleeding arm of the young boy. Completing the wrapping of his wound, the woman gently caressed his arm, placing a gentle kiss on top of it._

' _There. All done. Does it feel better now?' The woman placed Natsu onto her lap, ruffling his hair softly and placing gentle touches on his cheeks, wiping the few tears that ran down his eyes._

' _Yes. Thank you so much. I love you! Mom!' Natsu wrapped his arms around his mother, face resting against her chest. The woman looked down at her son, smiling. She wrapped her arms around the boy, and brought him closer to her. She softly whispered, 'You're welcome, sweetie. Remember, mommy loves you very much, and I'll always be with you.'_

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It was like a sudden wind that rushed passed his body. It was forceful at first, but it slowly began to fade, eventually disappearing into nothing at all. Natsu would have believed these images to be his imagination playing tricks on him, but… but…

Tears slipped down Natsu's face, soft whimpers escaping his throat.

' _It was too real. I-it was, it was…'_ The emotions connected to those forgotten memories, they were faint, but growing stronger and stronger as the flashes of his memory became clearer and clearer. The love. The comfort. It was so strong, and it was _so_ _real_. He had always desired to be loved and cared for; the sudden emotions and memories of a connection he once shared was overwhelming. To think he could have forgotten someone so important to him, someone who loved him so dearly, it was heartbreaking.

As the tears slowly made it's way down his face, he began to slip into a sleep of overwhelmed exhaustion and emotion. Natsu whispered the words of someone dearly loved, yet long forgotten. His voice croaking with the emotions of the memories that were revealed to him.

"... M-mother…"

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 **AN:** Another chapter done! I have a few ideas for where the story can go from here, but nothing concrete. If anyone has ideas for anything concerning this story, or any questions, please make them known! I also want to thank those who have followed and favourited so far, I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick with me on this journey of writing!


	3. Travels and Decisions

Took a little break from writing everyone, but fear not! I am back with another chapter, and my longest one yet; double the length of the first two chapters! Hope you all enjoy chapter 3!

Chapter 3: Travels and Decisions

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Smoke rose from the ashes and burnt wood that made up the scattered remains of the fire that burned throughout the previous night. It was early morning at this time, and Natsu was well awake. To say that he rested well would be an overstatement; his mind had been constantly running, even though he was completely exhausted. Small bags had formed under his eyes, and his lids drooped downwards, both signs of his exhaustion. Natsu was currently sitting on a small log, arms resting on his knees while his hands held his head up.

While Natsu was never one to think or use his mind to contemplate scenarios, usually thinking with his fists rather than his brain, recent events have forced him into this state of mind. Natsu was contemplating what happened the night before, and also what he would do in the future. Many questions popped in his head, such as _'Why do I not have my earlier memories? Did someone try to take them away from me? What about my parents? What about Igneel?'_ But the biggest question of all that Natsu had was:

' _What the hell am I gonna do next?'_

"Gaahhh! What the hell!" Natsu exclaimed gripping his pink strands and letting out a frustrated sigh. He had no idea what he was supposed to do now. Was he supposed to look for his real parents? Does he look for Igneel? Or is he supposed to just move on with his life?

' _There's no way I can just forget about them'_ He wanted to see both his human and dragon parents again, at least once more. However, the only trace Natsu had on Igneel was his scent, which he would only be able to pick up if he was nearby. With his parents, he only knew his mother based on a few brief memories that he had recently uncovered. He did not even have a name or a location to help him out.

In order to better compose his thoughts, Natsu decided he would set himself specific goals and checkpoints. He decided that no particular goal would be more valued than another, but Natsu swore to himself that he would fulfill each of his goals. After a few hours of contemplation, Natsu had determined that these three things would make up his goals in life:

To find Igneel

To find his real parents

To grow stronger

A short list, but Natsu believed that these things would be fulfilling enough for him. The third goal was simple, and in Natsu's opinion the easiest of the three, but could potentially take the longest. He was aware of the power difference that Igneel had over him, what with the 457 defeats to 0 victories (he counts them for motivation, okay! Don't judge him!) record that he had when facing Igneel. It was also safe to say that all those defeats were by a landslide! Yet each and every time they had fought, Natsu felt himself beginning to close the gap, even though it seemed insurmountable at first. He was still an insect compared to Igneel, however progress had been made. Natsu believed that the best way to honour Igneel, his foster father and mentor, was to be the best student and son he possibly could be. What better way to do that than to master his father's magic, and become the greatest wizard he could be?

Now with the issue of the third goal solved, there came the previous two. Now for these ones… Natsu had to admit that he was completely and utterly lost. What could he possibly do to find his parents? If Igneel didn't want to be found, then he would not be found; being a dragon who had advanced senses, the ability to fly and extremely powerful magic made the previous statement absolutely true. As for his human parents, he had no leads at all, save for the brief memories he had of his mother.

So what was Natsu capable of doing at the moment?

Natsu had to admit to himself that at the moment, he was not capable of finding any of his parents. It was possible his real parents weren't even alive anymo- _'STOP IT. I can't think like that! I can't lose hope!'_ Pushing those negative thoughts aside, Natsu tried to think of a starting point to achieve his goal. He had no knowledge at all in his situation, therefore he needed something to change that, whether it be finding a lead or gathering helpful information.

' _Some more memories would be nice as well. Stupid brain and your stupidness'_ Natsu growled in annoyance. But Natsu concluded that waiting around for some memories that may or may not come back, would not be the best course of action.

Therefore, with all other options crossed out of the way, he would have to go with the last and most dreaded option…

"DAMMIT!" Natsu yelled out in annoyance. Birds scattered from the trees because of the sudden sound, as Natsu's cry echoed in the distance.

Natsu really, really, reeeaaaally did not want to do this, however it was his only option left. He had no leads and no knowledge that would be advantageous to finding his parents. Because of this, Natsu had to obtain knowledge. He had to become smarter in order to give himself a chance of discovering something. Natsu had lived in forests, caves and mountains for all his life, and was sheltered from human societies while living with Igneel. He never really had the chance to learn about the world and other things that normal humans would… and now the time has come for Natsu to learn more. But it was only for the sake of his goals and nothing else, of course!

Sighing in frustration, Natsu gathered his few things, making sure to wrap the scarf that Igneel had made for him around his neck. He had been given the scarf as a gift awhile back, and it was his only possession left to remember Igneel by. Prepared to begin his journey, Natsu left the small camp he had made, setting off to find any form of human civilization, particularly a town or city. When he was there he would find the centre of his current dread, and the catalyst to the first step on the course toward achieving his goals.

The dreaded _library_.

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It has been a couple days since Natsu had set out to find a city where he could _study and learn_ for the benefit of his search, thinking about _that_ place with disgust and disdain. Seriously, how could people possibly enjoy sitting down in quiet, simply reading! Natsu couldn't wrap his head around it. He remembered the few times that Igneel had tried to teach him about Draconic Culture and History, and how that had played out…

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" _ **ALRIGHT YOU DAMN BRAT! LISTEN UP!"**_ _Igneel roared for the fifth time in frustration. He conceded that it was nigh impossible to hold Natsu's attention for more than 5 seconds if it did not have to do with food or fighting. Sighing heavily, Igneel attempted once again to get Natsu to learn at least something._

" _Awwww, come on Igneel, your boring lessons make me want to sleep! Can't we go eat already, I'm starving!" Natsu licked his lips in anticipation, drool sliding out of his mouth. The deer around this forest were especially tasty this time of year! He could already taste the delicious, juicy meat as he shoves it down his mou-. That train of thought instantly vanished as Natsu felt the impact of Igneel's tail across his body.  
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" _ **Stop getting distracted Natsu! You are being teached by the High and Mighty Igneel! The King of the Fire Dragons! I am the greatest instructor and YOU SHALL LISTEN!"**_

 _Natsu stuck his pinky in his left ear, scrubbing out some lodged wax. "Huh, did you say something Igneel? I wasn't listening for a second." Natsu deadpanned, making Igneel's jaw drop. Igneel sometimes wanted to smack Natsu across the continent for his stupidity._

 _A deer suddenly sprang into the small clearing, making Natsu instantly leap and run after it. "YUMMY DEAR, COME TO NATSUUUUUUU!"_

 _Igneel watched the scene in silence, before comically collapsing._ _ **"That's it, I give up on teaching that hopeless brat."**_

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Natsu couldn't help but chuckle. It wasn't his fault Draconic Rituals and the such were soooo boring! Half the time he didn't even understand what was going, all that talk about _mates_ and _heirs_ and _kings_ , it was so confusing, and it made his head hurt!

Natsu silently prayed to whatever gods existed that his own studying wouldn't be half as boring as the lessons from Igneel. He unconsciously shivered at the different _methods_ Igneel would use to make Natsu learn.

Natsu was able to find a path that lead out of the forest area, that merged into a larger dusty road. He decided to walk down this path, hoping that it would lead to a human town or city. Thankfully, some passing travellers that were using the same road were able to point him in the direction of the nearest large town, a small city named Iwakuni. He had thanked the travellers, and had continued in the direction they had pointed to. He would arrive in the city in around 3 days, the travellers had said, as they were coming from that city previously. Natsu was very excited, and also slightly nervous but no matter what he felt, he decided he would make it to Iwakuni.

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It had been three days of travelling down the dusty, old path, but Natsu had finally made it to Iwakuni, if the sign was an indication of anything. Natsu made his way into the small city, and he was awed at what he saw. Many houses and buildings spread throughout the area, as far as he could see. Shops were spread throughout the large street Natsu was currently on, with shopkeepers interacting with the people throughout the street. It seemed to be busy to Natsu, or at least, that's what it looked like to him. He had never seen so many people in one place in his whole life! It amazed him to no end: The loud accumulation of chatter and communication between the people, and the livelihood of the city. It was amazing! The city screamed of warmth and excitement; Natsu could already tell he would enjoy himself here!

A huge grin adorned his face as he made his way deeper into the city, passing children his age who were playing with each other, smiling and laughing as they ran ound a few trees. Natsu stopped to inspect the scene. _'Are these kids, what Igneel called… friends?'_ It dawned on Natsu that he never had a friend before. He wanted to join the kids and play with them, it seemed like so much fun! As he continued to inspect them, a hand rested itself on Natsu's shoulder, breaking him out of his daze.

"Hey kid, you're new around here aren't you? I haven't seen you around before." A man of tall stature asked Natsu. He was well built, with broad shoulders and a tall frame. He had slightly long, straight brown hair, and soft blue eyes. He was wearing dark brown boots, and a slightly lighter brown cloak, with matching pants. He held a kind and respectful smile towards Natsu.

Caught under the man's gaze Natsu stuttered indecisively, "Uhhh- umm…" The man noticing his slight nervousness calmly said, "Sorry about the slight scare, let me start over. My name is Maximus Rosano, it's a pleasure to meet you." Gone was Natsu's nervousness, and a bright, cheeky grin lit up his face. "Hey there! The name's Natsu Dragneel! Nice to meetchya!" Initially surprised by the change of attitude, the man gathered his bearings and smiled back, "Natsu huh? That's a nice name you have. Anyways, what are you doing in this town? We don't get many young ones such as yourself visiting our humble city; it's mainly travellers and merchants from other larger cities."

Natsu contemplated just blabbing on about all his pent up emotions and thoughts, but remembered that Igneel taught him to be wary of strangers. However, instead of ignoring the man's question, Natsu decided to give him a simple answer anyways, deciding that the man seemed trustworthy so far.

"Well… I've been trynna find a city, because I want to learn! I heard that cities like these have big libraries with lots'a information that I could use!" Natsu excitedly explained. "Huh, a library, well, we do have a rather large library, but couldn't you go anywhere to find a better or even bigger library? Besides couldn't you learn stuff in school? Where are your parents anyways, kid?" Maximus asked Natsu.

"Well, I've never been to any kinda school before, and besides I would never go to something as boring as that! I'd rather learn the stuff that I wanna learn! As for my parents, well…" Natsu quickly thought of an excuse he could come up with to tell the man. "We live in a small house in the forest outside of town, and they decided to send me in town to learn a bit and have some fun!"

The man contemplated Natsu's words for a bit. Maximus could tell that Natsu was not explaining the full truth, but would not press any further. Maximus did not have any kids of his own, but his experience with others allowed him to read the emotions of others better than many. He noticed Natsu twitch at the mention of his parents, and saw a deep, hidden pain in his eyes as he explained to him his situation.

"I see…" Maximus said, he was thinking on what to do with the boy; he couldn't simply leave the boy alone in a place he is unfamiliar with. Smiling, and deciding on a course of action, Max tells Natsu, "Why don't I buy you some food? You must be hungry from your travels. Besides, I can show you to the library after we have finished." Suddenly Natsu's stomach loudly grumbled, indicating his hunger. Blushing in embarrassment, Natsu nods his head and thanks the man.

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After watching Natsu consume the most food he has ever seen anyone eat in his life, and paying the largest food bill he had ever seen in his life, Maximus led Natsu to where the library was located. They stopped outside a large, brown building, with double doors out front. The sign above and outside the building read "Iwakuni Central Library".

"Woah" Natsu awed at the large building that would become his centre of research in the future.  
"Yep, it's a pretty nice library if I do say so myself. I hope whatever you wish to learn, you will be able to in here" Maximus said to Natsu, now looking at the young boy. Reaching into his pocket to get out a wad of money, Maximus handed the money to Natsu. "Here take this. In cities, we pay for different things with this, it's called Jewels." Natsu looked at the money in his hand in amazement and contemplation.

"Think of it as an exchange. Sometimes, when you want something, you have to exchange a certain amount of jewels for that item or service. I know you are unfamiliar with Jewels, as you live in the forest with your parents. This here is 50,000 Jewels, use them wisely and they should last you awhile. I normally wouldn't give just anyone money like that, but life has been good to me recently and I'm doing well for myself. Besides, I feel sympathetic for you kid. If you ever need a helping hand, just come out and find me, ya hear?" Maximus told Natsu kindly, ruffling his hair at the end of his mini-speech. Natsu nodded, looking up at his new friend, grinning widely. "Thank you so much Maximus!"

"Heh, no problem kiddo, now you better go along and start your studying, I'll be going now, but I will see you around." The man walked away waving gently to the young boy. "Yes! Thanks alot Max!"

As Maximus walked away he smiled gently thinking about the pink-haired boy he just helped out today. _'Max huh, what an interesting young boy'_.

Meanwhile with Natsu, he stared at the library in front of him. An excited grin made its way on his face as he said, "Alright ya damn, stupid library! Let's see whatchya got for me!"

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 **AN:** Another chapter done! Before I get into anything specific I want to say thanks to those who have been reading and sending feedback so far, I appreciate it. Now to some things I want to address.

Firstly, Iwakuni is not an actual city in the Fairy Tail world, but the name was chosen in reference to an actual Japanese city: I picked it for no specific reason, so don't delve to deeply into the name lol. Secondly, Natsu studying is **not** going to suddenly make him a genius or anything. It is important to remember that Natsu never really interacted with humans throughout his childhood (discluding the time before Igneel, we don't know much about that, yet ;D). No amount of studying or knowledge can make a socially awkward or dense person any less awkward or dense. So with that said, Natsu will not be a total idiot like in the manga/anime (he also won't be insanely smart), but he will still be comically dense in terms of romance, human interaction, etc, he will be slightly socially awkward. The last thing I want to talk about is Fairy Tail. We know that Makarov found Natsu and invited him to his guild in the original series. I am aware of this, so don't worry that Natsu isn't immediately thrown into the life of a Fairy Tail wizard! He will eventually be joining Fairy Tail, but not quite yet, so don't worry! I have plans for that. That's all I have to say for now, thank you all for the continued support, and see you in the next chapter!


	4. Loss of the Present, Hope For the Future

**AN:** Back with another chapter everyone! This is where we start moving from a T Rating to an M Rating! If you are sensitive to graphic content and language, you should probably click away, lol. However, if you were waiting for some action…. Hopefully you won't be disappointed! Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Loss of the Present, Hope For the Future

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Sighing after a long day of training and research, Natsu put down the book he was currently reading, one that encompasses moderate level strategy and tactics. It's been three months since he had arrived in the small city of Iwakuni, and he has greatly enjoyed the hospitality, and the resources that he has received. Most of the townsfolk were welcoming and helpful, and the library has proven to be very helpful towards Natsu's growth in learning.

Natsu had developed a sort of schedule during these three months. He would wake up in the morning and eat a hearty breakfast. After that, he would go out into the surrounding forests and mountains to train himself physically and with his magic. The training had been going well so far; Natsu had expanded his magic container quite a bit, and had also been slowly improving some basic **Fire Dragon Slaying** techniques, while also working towards some **Secret Arts**.

After training throughout the morning until about mid-afternoon, Natsu would take a quick bath in some pond or lake, than hit the library for some studying and research. He would usually decide to sleep in the forest; Natsu felt at home with nature, and besides, he learned that saving his money would be wise in the long run. He felt it unnecessary to spend a lot of his funds on an inn.

Between his physical, magical and mental training, Natsu had developed his mental capacity the most out of the other three; this was not to say that he had been slacking in the other areas, however, the amount of growth was most visible in his mental capabilities. Natsu was honestly shocked! There was much about the world around him he didn't understand beforehand, but was slowly starting to grasp now. It was safe to say that his own self-education has him sitting at an average standard of knowledge for someone of his age, having dedicated so much time into it. Besides, Natsu was a very quick learner; he nearly needed to dedicate himself and focus in order to properly progress in anything. However, the few things that Natsu could not fully understand, even through the help of different texts was sociology and human interactions. Things like love, communication and human emotions were too confusing for his brain to handle! It was sooo much easier to deal with a dragon! They were simply blunt and got straight to the point; their intentions were never masked behind such trivial things as emotion!

Putting his confusion aside, Natsu began to think about his progress with his memory so far. ' _Well… Besides the overload that I had on the first time I gained some memories back, there hasn't been much I remembered in terms of flashbacks or anything like that. There's only been one or two occasions during sleep where I remember a few things about Mom or home. I have a few dreams about Igneel, but nothing about my real dad yet.'_ He was extremely thankful that he had received some more additional pieces of his memory; it was a sign that it was still possible to gain them back.

What confused him the most was definitely the few history books he has read. He once decided to briefly read upon the history of Fiore, for the sake of having a decent knowledge of the country he resided in. The confusing things that he had read about were: The Magic Council, The Dragon King Festival and dragons in general.

The Magic Council is the body that rules and oversee the entire Magic World, creating rules and regulations and enforcing them upon all the citizens of the world. Natsu had never heard of such a thing before in all his years of living. He was sure Igneel would have mentioned something as important as that to him, but apparently not. It said in that history textbook that the council was formed after the 'Dragon King Festival' he read about. Apparently, a group of powerful and respected wizards believed that a council was necessary for the safety of humanity, so a great disaster as the one that was experienced would never occur again.

The Dragon King Festival, the devastating war between dragons, wizards and demons. Natsu was sure he had heard Igneel mention some devastating war a handful of times. But the pain and heartache that was spoken through his words, the far-off look that Igneel held in his eyes… It couldn't be some ancient war he was reminiscing about, could it? He would speak about the battle as if it had happened recently, not something that was 400 years in the past. Things didn't really add up to Natsu; Igneel talking about some huge-ass battle he was in quite recently, than this history book he picks up mentions it as taking place 400 years ago?

And what about the stuff that they're saying on dragons? Seriously?! None sighted in 400 years? This '400 years' bullshit is becoming a recurring number, and Natsu doesn't think it's a coincidence. He was literally living with Igneel just over 3 months ago! So why are they saying that it has been 400 years since dragons have been spotted? It's not like you can miss a huge-ass flying red dragon! They'd surely know of Igneel's existence, either through his massive size or the great amount of magic energy he releases through his presence. ' _Hmmm… Igneel mysteriously left me on that day about 3 months ago… Or was it really?...'_ Natsu had a few suspicions of what may have happened, but they're only faint ideas, and nothing that could be taken seriously yet; at least not without a lot of evidence that he does not currently have.

He would have to put those ideas to the side for now. His objective was to find Igneel and his human parents and to grow stronger. These thoughts would simply lead him astray. After making his way out of the town, Natsu made his way to a large oak tree where he would go to sleep for the night. He had found this particular tree one day while training, and it made for a nice resting spot. Natsu didn't mind sleeping outdoors, and found the firm bark of the wood to be oddly comforting. Making his way onto one of the larger branches, Natsu rested his arms behind his neck, and slowly shut his eyes, embracing the warmth of sleep that was now surrounding him.

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Natsu awoke to the sound of crackling flames and the smell of blood, and burning flesh. This scent was familiar to Natsu, with all the hunting of wild animals he had done to survive throughout his life. However, laced with the scent was the undeniable smell of humans. Eyes quickly snapping open, Natsu trembled at the sight before him. Dark flames burning the remains of houses and buildings that stood tall and proud only a few hours ago. Cries of pain mixed with the laughter of mad men echoed in the distance. Anguish and destruction surrounded the city like a dark blanket in the night. The city of Iwakuni had been so lively and bright the earlier day, but it had been reduced to nothing more than pitiful remains of a conquered and obliterated city. The cries of pain and sorrow had began to stop, and with their passing came the increased laughter of madness and wickedness.

A rage like none that Natsu had ever felt before had overcome his thoughts. His eyes were slitted and darker than they normally were. His lips curled tightly downward and his fists clenched to the point where blood had been drawn from his palms.

' _Who… Who would DARE do such a thing. What kind of twisted, sick_ fuck _must you be to harm an innocent town and condemn them all to death?'_ An aggressive growl made it's way out of Natsu's throat. He hadn't realized it but he had already made his way out of the tree he had been sleeping on, and was now in front of the town gates. The sign that welcomed everyone into the beautiful town of Iwakuni, was now destroyed and had faint smears of blood covering it.

The first thing Natsu did was run to the house he knew belonged to his old friend Max. Silently but quickly making his way to his house, Natsu gasped at the torn down state of the once beautiful home, but made his way inside to ensure his friend's safety. Consuming the few flames that were eating away at the wooden house, Natsu walked into the living area and gasped at what he saw.

Stab wounds on both his stomach and arm, with a deep slash running from his left chest to his right hip. "Max!" Calling out his name in panic, Natsu made his way to the older man's side, checking to see if the man was still alive. Dull blue eyes slowly blinked open, unfocused for a moment before seeing Natsu's panicked eyes.

"H-hey… Nats-su" The man painfully squeezed out. Coughing slightly after his short greeting, Natsu held onto his hand, tears slipping out of his own eyes. "Please Max, you have to conserve your strength! I, I can get you out of here! We'll get a doctor and-". Max slowly lifted his arm and grabbed the boy's shoulder.

"Natsu… I'm not gonna make it… I … I'm sorry… it had to be this way… I'm glad… I was able… to know you… kid. You have to…" At this point Max's hand had slipped from Natsu's shoulders numbly falling to his side with a small thud against the floor. "Live on…" After speaking those words, Max's eyes closed for the last time.

Natsu's heart was racing violently; he could feel the thirst for revenge rise within his core, the unquenchable thirst for the blood of those who dared to harm what had become his new home. They were going to _pay_ goddammit, and Natsu would be sure to wipe out _every last one_. No longer able to contain all the swirling emotions coursing through his veins, Natsu opened his mouth wide, and let out an inhuman roar, one filled with the promise of pain.

" **RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAOOOOORRRWWWWW"**

With his battle cry unleashed, Natsu quickly followed his nose to locate the nearest people to his position. He ran down the small road to the side that led to a small district of houses where most of the poorer people of the village resided. He looked to see nothing but destruction and devastation. All the houses were burnt down. Barely remaining were different parts of the supporting structure, which was slowly burning away. A few burnt bodies, black with ash, their remains signifying their painful demise. Other bodies were seen to be mutilated beyond recognition. Arms and legs twisted incorrectly, some were missing heads and others missing half of their bodies. Blood spewed on the street that once was littered with beautiful small bushes and flowers, that radiated alongside the warm visage of the people who lived there.

Along with the dismembered bodies, Natsu saw 4 men standing over them, surveying their work, seeming content with what they had done.

"Hehe, a job well done boys. I think Master will be pleased with what we've accomplished. Not one body left to live!" One man said. He had dark brown hair, and pale green eyes. He stood tall, around 6 feet in height, perhaps a bit taller. His clothes were slightly torn and stained beyond recognition. What once might have been a nice brown cloak was stained crimson with the colour of his sins. Strapped to his waist was a katana, cloaked in a dark scabbard.

"Of course, the master will be pleased. This is all for Lord Zeref after all. With this sacrifice we are offering towards him, he will hopefully look down at us from his mighty throne, and come down to unleash his power before us. It shall be a glorious day once we are reunited with our Lord." Another man with black hair said. He was also a tall man, wearing a similar black cloak to the one the other man had been wearing. The features of his face were hidden due to his position showing only his back. He also had some form of a sword attached to his belt.

The other three men didn't show any unusual characteristics, all decently tall men, with cloaks and a weapon at their side. These men nodded their heads in approval of the words spoken by the two men before them. The second began to speak again, in a sort of dismissive manner. "I think we ought to head back to the Master soon enough. He said our work needed to be done quickly so we could leave before being spotted." They nodded their heads and began to make their way down the streets, before noticing a small pink haired boy, whose face was covered by his pink bangs.

" **It's too late to escape now…** _ **you fools**_ **."** As Natsu raised his head, they looked on to see dark, slitted onyx eyes. His face was an emotionless mask,and they could feel the pure anger in his voice, however…

"Pffft, AHAHAHA, I can't lie boys, That kid's got one mean mug on his face! I would have been terrified if he weren't just a little brat. I'll take care of this one." One of the taller man's waved off dismissively, beginning to make his way before him. "You've got some serious guts kid, coming out to confront us. I'm sorry you have to die like this, but you need to die for our Lord Zer-"

His words were cut off when Natsu, with blinding speed had dashed towards the man. Before he realized it, Natsu's left fist made brutal contact with his throat, destroying his windpipe in the process. Before the man could register the pain and lack of oxygen he was now suffering from, Natsu's right fist penetrated the lower portion of his neck. Blood had sprayed all over Natsu's face, however his expression did not change. The man helplessly struggled to scream in pain. He was choking on his own blood, as it continued to filled his lungs, replacing the oxygen he once lived on. Natsu's fist grabbed the fleshy tube from within his throat, and ripped it out easily, blood flying on the ground before him, and now spilling out of the gaping hole in the now dead man's throat. He lifelessly slipped to the ground as Natsu's fist no longer supported him.

The other man were gaping in shock at what they had just seen. That little kid had just brutally murdered one of their own! This kid has some speed and power, and he had to be eliminated, _now_.

Natsu used a small portion of his magic to burn the body of the dead man before him. Natsu looked up at the other men, sending a shiver of fear down their spines at the cold look he sent them. He took a small step forward, and the other men unconsciously took a small step back. Natsu spoke, in a chilling voice that would be the last memory these men would hold.

" **He was mistaken… the only one's who will be dying from now on…** _ **are you."**_ As soon as those last words left his mouth, one man screamed in anger, and rushed Natsu's position. As he ran towards Natsu's unmoving form, he yelled, "YOU LITTLE SHIT! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"

He made his way closer and closer, yet Natsu still didn't move. Grinning wildly and unsheathing his sword, the man yelled in anticipation of the young boy's death. He brought his sword down, but Natsu simply ducked to the side and sent a fierce kick to the man's knee, shattering it on contact. Screaming in pain and falling to one knee, The man wasn't prepared for the second kick that was aimed for his spine, which killed him instantly. Unleashing a small bit of magic, Natsu burned the man's dead corpse, turning him into a pile of ashes.

The other three men had lost their composure, and had decided to attack Natsu all at once. Their formation was sloppy and so were their stances. They came at three different angles, hoping to overwhelm the young boy, but their attacks did not worry Natsu. Ducking out of the way of from a slash aimed at his chest, Natsu sent a quick punch to the man's chest breaking a few ribs in the process. Another slash aimed at his head, easily avoided. Natsu decided to end this silly farce at once, and went on the offensive. Unprepared for the sudden change in the boy's speed, the man whose ribs were broken, suddenly felt his wielding arm crack at the elbow, broken beyond repair. Dropping the sword in agony, his suffering continued when Natsu's fist tore through his abdomen. He dropped to the ground, where he slowly died from blood loss.

Turning his attention to the other two men, Natsu charged at them, dodging their sloppy slashes and sending devastating blows to each of them. Natsu sent a high kick to the neck of one man, breaking it instantly and killing him. The other was defeated when Natsu reversed the direction of one man's swing, sending the sword straight through his own chest.

Natsu stopped to breath for a moment, the adrenaline still rushing through him. He knew the battle was not over, there were still plenty of men left to defeat; he could smell their disgusting scent from where he was. Hearing the approaching steps of many men coming this way, he prepared himself for battle. As the men entered the clearing he heard their shocked whispers echo towards him.

"This is where all the sound was coming from boss! It's that kid! And he's killed 5 of our men! What do we do now?" Natsu looked to see one particular buff man standing tall. He was the leader of this group, _he knew it_. Standing so high and mighty, Natsu's anger increased tenfold at the sight of him.

"Dispose of him at once, I can not stand to see him live any longer." The man said, sending a cruel smirk towards Natsu. Natsu held an attacking stance, ready for the men to attack at any moment. And that's when the onslaught truly started.

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It's been 4 long hours since the massive battle had begun between Natsu and the many men. Corpses lay throughout the street, men with gaping holes in their chests, some missing limbs and others missing heads. A few of the bodies were disfigured, be it broken necks, spines or limbs. Natsu had defeated all of the men sent at him. It had been 35 men. 35 lives that Natsu took in order to enact his revenge. A part of him felt horrible at the fact that he had killed, and another part of him felt sort of… _delighted_ with the destruction he had wrought.

This was not to say that Natsu went unscathed, however. Battling 35 men, even though they were quite weak, was still a difficult task. He had bruises in some places of his body, small cuts on his arms and one slash to his cheek. It was well into the night by now, the sun wouldn't be rising for at least another 4 hours.

"Impressive… quite impressive indeed. I didn't think a boy like you would be able to defeat my men, in such a brutal fashion as well." The man known to be the master and leader of this group said, emerging from the shadows. Natsu had forgotten about him, but was now ready to engage in combat. Natsu was tired from such a long battle, but he hadn't used his magic yet; he still had an ace up his sleeve.

Chuckling darkly the man approached the young boy. He had midnight raven hair, strands that nearly covered his eyes, which were a pale purple in colour. He was tall and muscular, but most of his body was covered in a dark black cloak that covered his large form. His cruel smile glowed, echoing the waning flames that were slowly dying out around them.

"Tell me boy. What is your name?"

Natsu was unsure what this man was playing at, but decided to let the man know the name of the one who would soon be _ending his life_.

"Natsu… Dragneel. And I will be the one… who will end… **your pitiful life**." Natsu started slowly, ending with conviction and an outrageous passion.

The eyes mans widened in surprise, however he covered it by pointing his head downwards, hiding his expression in the darkness. ' _Dragneel, that family name! Could he be related to…?'_ Looking up again, the man stared into Natsu blank eyes.

"Well, Natsu _Dragneel_ , let us see if your strength can match an S-Class mage. Those men you faced were nothing more than grunts. Criminals whom I use to increase our numbers and overwhelm our targets. They held no real skill at all, however…" The man summoned a dark ball of magic the size of a basketball, that rested on the man's palm.

Natsu could sense the man's power, and realized he would have to use his own magic in order to defeat the man. The man than released his accumulated magic energy in a concentrated ball of darkness.

" **Dark Wave**!" Jumping out of the way to avoid a deadly hit of magic, Natsu looked to see the damage caused by his attack. A small crater had formed in the ground due to the explosion of the attack. Natsu would have to be extremely careful, those attacks could be fatal in his state.

Deciding to bring the battle into close quarters, Natsu dashed towards his target ahead, avoided multiple shots of magic sent his way,

' _Damn! The little bastard is quick!'_ Parrying a blow that Natsu sent to his chest, the man jumped back, hoping to create some space in order to send another blast of his **Shadow Magic**. But Natsu was smarter than that, he knew his only chance of winning was to keep the fight in close quarters; the man couldn't use those powerful attacks, in fear of damaging himself with the explosions. Besides, Natsu couldn't dodge those attacks forever. His attacks so far had been long ranged, if he could get close, maybe he could send a powerful magic enhanced punch at him.

The man continued to send more and more balls of concentrated dark magic at Natsu, but the pink haired mage was able to dodge them all unscathed. Approaching the target, rendering his magic useless, Natsu used his first Magical attack in the entire battle.

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** Natsu punched the man's face with a powerful flame coated fist, sending the man flying backwards. However, Natsu felt a great pain in the left side of his abdomen. Looking down, he saw a small knife imbedded in his flesh. ' _Damn… I guess he had a backup plan for close quarter scenarios.'_ Painfully ripping out the knife from his abdomen, Natsu used his magic to cauterize the wound. He let out an agonizing wail of pain at the sensation. It was the first time he had done something like that, and the pain nearly caused him to pass out. But he wouldn't give up yet! Quietly whimpering while holding one hand to his side, he looked up to see the other man panting for breath. They had both taken and dealt heavy damage to each other.

The man looked at Natsu, and after composing his breathing, said, "You are a powerful mage, kid. How about we end this battle of ours once and for all." Smiling wickedly, the man began to summon a huge amount of shadows into his arms, tripling the size of his previous attacks. Natsu noticed this and also began to prepare his final attack. Putting his arms in front of his mouth, and summoning a large amount of magic within his core, Natsu prepared to end this battle. Natsu focused on his purpose for the battle: the love he felt for all those he lost, the anger towards those who took away his home. He focused on the battle and prepared to unleash all his emotions into this attack.

" **Fire Dragon's…** "

" **Dark Shadow…** "

" **ROAR!** "

" **EXPLOSION!** "

The two attacks met at the centre, and fought each other for dominance. The attacks seemed to be equal in strength, but suddenly the flames started to overpower the shadows. Seeing this the man's eyes widened ' _Im-Impossible! I'm an S-Class Mage! I was supposed to meet Lord Zeref and rule this world alongside him!'_ As the attack approached the evil mage, he whispered his last words as a member of the living. "Lord Zeref, please watch over my passing spirit." The man closed his eyes as the flames engulfed him.

As the attack died down, Natsu looked to see nothing remaining of the man's body, not even any ashes. Slumping down in overwhelming exhaustion, both emotional and physical, Natsu fell to the ground, a lone tear streaking down his face. His adrenaline and anger had washed away, and he was left with nothing but emptiness in his heart and agonizing pain at his side. Before falling into an exhausted sleep, Natsu thought, ' _I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you all, I'm sorry… Max… Everyone …'_

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Natsu's dreams were filled with unpleasant scenes, scenes that were so unfamiliar yet somehow nostalgic and dear to him. Images of a black haired man, a group of strange looking creatures and many different dragons. Some of these images made Natsu feel happy and sad, and some were full of violence and destruction. Natsu didn't understand these things that were being shown to him as he slept; it was so familiar, yet so far off. It was disorienting to say the least.

He saw himself with these strange creatures, and felt a sense of belonging and happiness. A man with dark purple hair tied up in a ponytail, bangs covering portions of his face, a grinning blonde haired man with canine ears and a tail, a green haired woman with scales on her face and a sultry smirk, a purple haired woman with horns protruding from her head, and many other strange looking beings. He didn't recognize these people, but Natsu felt as though he _should._

Gasping awake from his dreams, an acronym of sorts flooded into his mind, seemingly holding the answer to the strange dream he had just seen.

' _E.N.D.'_

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Lahar was having a long and exhausting day. He received a report about a small town having been destroyed, and the Magic Council had deployed his Custody Enforcement Unit to investigate the city of Iwakuni. What he had found had not been pleasant.

The whole city had been destroyed. All the houses and buildings, brought to the ground by flames, if the scorch marks and ashy remains had anything to say about it. Blood scattered across the ground, limbs carelessly lying around various parts of the town. Not one survivor had been found, body after body being found for cleanup and disposal by his subordinates. It was a gruesome sight to see.

However, the most confusing thing were the bodies of different men that were carrying weapons. Many of them had scorch marks across their bodies, and were all brutally disfigured. Some were lying next to large piles of ashes and burnt remains; their weapons being melted and disfigured. ' _These men, they were the ones who had caused this destruction.'_ Looking around once more at the bodies of the men before him. ' _Most of the bodies were unidentifiable, but some limbs carried the guild mark of_ Evil Rising _a Dark Guild who sought the resurrection of_ **him**. _Knowing this, who was it that defeated the men? It must be a fire mage, considering the burns on the disfigured bodies and the ashy remains of what must have been their comrades. Could this mage have burned down this town as well? Unlikely, why would he turn his back on his comrades? We're most likely dealing with a third party in this tragedy._ '

Sighing heavily, Lahar put those thoughts away. The one who had killed these dark mages was probably long gone by now. Besides, even if Lahar had found the mage, what was he to do? Arrest him for the killing of these wizards, even though it was the right thing to do? Questioning the mage would most probably be taken with hostility. Looking back to the entrance of the city, Lahar spotted a young, pink-haired boy, making his way out of the gates.

Momentarily shocked by the presence of the young boy, Lahar quickly composed himself and called out to the boy in a commanding manner. "Excuse me young man, but where do you think you're going?"

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After waking up from the strange dream, Natsu decided it best that he start making his way out of the city. As he began to collect his books and other valuable possessions in a small travelling bag, he heard the entry of a small group of people. Noticing the emblem they carried on their clothing, Natsu identified them as being a part of the magic council. ' _Probably for investigation and the such.'_ Deciding to discreetly make his way out of the city for what would most likely be the last time, Natsu avoided the council members who came to investigate the area he was just in. Natsu was hoping to avoid any sort of questioning or attention that would be placed on him; he was most certainly not in the mood for such things.

Nearing the entrance of the city, and almost making it out unnoticed, Natsu slightly cringed when he heard a man call out to him.

"Excuse me young man, but where do you think you're going?" Tilting his head slightly back to get a view of the man who called out to him, he saw a firm looking man with long black hair tied in a bun, glasses adorned on his face. He was wearing a cloak with the Magic Council's emblem on it, a navy jacket underneath it and white pants and a belt. He looked like a man who carried authority, just the type of person Natsu wanted to avoid most.

The man started to approach Natsu, and continued his questioning. "Do you know what happened here, boy? How did you survive the devastation that was brought on this town? Do you have anything you could tell-" The man's rambling of questions halted when Natsu decided to turn around, making sure his pink locks covered most of his face as to make himself unidentifiable.

"Those men destroyed this innocent town… **So I destroyed** _ **them**_." The last few word were spit out of Natsu's mouth with venom. Lahar was shocked at the boy's declaration to say the least. He could feel the venom and power that was unleashed with the boy's words. By the time he had regained his bearings, Natsu had already disappeared.

' _How could such a young boy do such things? Such hatred and anger in his words_.' Lahar shuddered at the thought of such a powerful young boy turning into a killing machine. He sincerely hoped that the boy would overcome the darkness in his heart.

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It has been a few days since Natsu had left the now destroyed city of Iwakuni. He had been walking aimlessly, yet the time alone had allowed him to ponder on his actions and the strange dream he had after the battle. Natsu would admit that he let his emotions get the best of him; he had allowed his anger and rage to control his actions. Those men deserved the judgement he had passed down on them, however he needed to have more control of himself when his emotions would overwhelm him… it was something he would definitely need to work on.

And that strange dream he had after his battle with the powerful wizard. Those people and those emotions he felt; it was associated with one word that he remembered: E.N.D.

He didn't know what the hell E.N.D. was, but he knew for sure what he saw in those dreams. ' _I was with those strange people… and I was one of them, whatever the hell being one of them really is.'_ Whatever and whoever those creatures were, he was also a part of that group. Did that mean he wasn't human or something? Was he part human, part… ' _whatever the fuck that was'_. Natsu felt some sort of connection to this E.N.D. thing, could it possibly be a codename or something for himself? Safe to say, he would have to do more investigation into this matter.

Suddenly, Natsu felt a presence approach him, and it was a damn strong one at that. ' _This magic power! It's unreal! Who could be following me nearby?'_ Taking a defensive stance, Natsu prepared himself to face whatever was approaching.

Natsu nearly screamed like a little girl when he heard a voice speak from behind him. "There's no need to be so defensive, my boy" Natsu turned around to see a short old man with spiky white hair being the one who had approached him. He was an old man, wearing an open, beige cloak with a red vest and white shirt underneath it. He was also wearing black pants, and held a calm and warm smile towards Natsu.

"Let me introduce myself" the old man began, "My name is Makarov Dreyar, and who are you, young one?" Natsu hesitated at first, slightly wary of the man calling himself Makarov. He didn't know if he could trust him, but the warm black eyes of the man made Natsu open up to him, if only a little.

"I'm Natsu…" At first waiting for the boy to announce his last name, Makarov understood that the boy was still cautious of him. ' _Such a young boy, and he holds a cold, pained look in his eyes…'_ Makarov held compassion for the boy. What could he have experienced for him to act in such a defensive way? Makarov wanted to do nothing more than to accept the boy in his arms at that very moment, but decided he had to carefully place his actions and words, so not to drive the boy away.

"Natsu… that's an interesting name you have there. What are you doing out here in the forest by yourself?" Makarov didn't question too deeply, he didn't want to bring up anything that could make the boy any more uncomfortable than he already was.

"I don't have anyone to be with… I've been living all alone for a while now." It was true as well. Natsu had been alone since he was suddenly left by Igneel. Just when he started to feel at home in another place… The smell of burning flesh suddenly returned to his nose, and Natsu's breath hitched. Those thoughts were torn away when Makarov's soft voice invaded his senses.

"I see…" It was clear that Natsu had nowhere to go. So maybe he could possibly…

"Natsu" Peaking up at the calling of his name, Natsu looked into the warm and happy expression that was Makarov's face. "I am the Guild Master of a Guild called Fairy Tail. We reside in the town of Magnolia that is a bit of a travel from here. I am actually returning from a Guild Master's Meeting that was recently held. If you like, I could take you to our guild where you could become a member of Fairy Tail." Natsu was interested in his words and continued to listen.

Seeing the interest on the boy's face, Makarov smiled and continued, "At Fairy Tail, we like to treat our members like family. We love and care for one another, and you will find a place to call home. Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist... Like them, this place is an eternal mystery... A never ending adventure. If you join Fairy Tail, you will become a part of our adventure that will last a lifetime. So what do you say, Natsu?"

Natsu was in shock, he had just lost what had become his home, and now in front of him was his ticket to a new home. ' _A home… a real family…'_ His thoughts raced towards Iwakuni: meeting Max, his training, his studying, than…. the flames, the destruction, the pain, _the agony_. He unconsciously grabbed the scar that was now on his lower abdomen, as an echoing whisper filled his mind.

' **E.N.D.** '

It was too much for Natsu, and he began to burst out into tears. All the emotions that were pent up inside of him for the last few days were finally unleashed in his tears. At first Makarov was shocked and scared that he had done something wrong to cause the boy's outburst. As he was about to reach out to the boy, both to comfort and apologize, Natsu's head lifted up. A small smile, filled with both sadness and gratitude marked his face.

"Thank you. Thank you for your offer." Natsu continued to smile at Makarov, and Makarov also began to smile at the boy. "Yes, I would like to join this Fairy Tail you speak of. I'd like to join your guild."

Makarov smiled brightly at his words, but the moment was interrupted when Natsu began to speak again. "But… there's something I have to do. Something I must accomplish on my own before I can come to Fairy Tail." Makarov looked at the boy, eyes filled with conviction and determination, and the faint trace of tears that still lidded his face.

"So that's why… that's why" A lone tear escaped Natsu's eye as he looked up to meet Makarov's gaze.

"Will you wait for me? I promise you… One day I will come again to Magnolia and to Fairy Tail. Please… promise me that I'll always be welcome at your guild. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but some day, when I return, you'll still be waiting for me, right?" Makarov looked on, speechless at Natsu's words. He didn't know why, but something about this moment seemed so emotional to him, and so memorable.

Smiling gently at the young boy, voice filled with emotion, Makarov replied, "Of course, my boy, Fairy Tail will always have it's doors open for you. We'll be waiting for the day you come back, and when you arrive, we shall accept you with open arms." Natsu smiled weakly at Makarov as he turned his back, preparing himself to leave.

"Thank you… old man. Until the day we meet again, this is goodbye." And with that, the predestined meeting between master and mage had concluded. Until the day that they meet again, Makarov will wait patiently in anticipation.

' _He's a very interesting boy, this Natsu. I await the day he comes to Fairy Tail… someone like him, who's seen so much in his short life… He needs something like Fairy Tail to erase the pain and darkness in his heart. I'm sure the light of our guild will be able to mend the brokenness he carries.'_ Smiling to himself, Makarov also turned back and continued his journey to his guild, and his home:

Fairy Tail.

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 **AN: Wow! Another chapter complete, and a long one at that! I'm pretty proud of what I've been able to make out of this chapter, hopefully the fight scenes were decent… I've never written something like that before: let me know what you think of it. Natsu finally meets Makarov! But he isn't joining Fairy Tail just yet, he's got some personal business to deal with first. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter, or the story as a whole! If you have any ideas, comments or questions let me know! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	5. Confrontation

I've been gone for a while, working on some non-fanfiction related projects of mine; finally I've decided to come back to this story, I've been kind of delaying it for some time. I hope I will be able to finish this story in the future. I'm taking it step by step as of now, but the upcoming school year might make updates increasingly difficult. Hopefully I'll be able to crank out another chapter after this one before school starts, but enough rambling, let's get into this chapter!

"Regular Speech"

' _Thoughts_ '

" **Demonic/Dragon/Deity Speech** "

" **Magical Spell** "

 _Flashbacks_

Chapter 5: Confrontation

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Natsu had been feeling quite chipper recently, what with the invitation to be a part of a family of sorts once again.

The pain of losing his family had not fully subsided yet, but hopefully this 'Fairy Tail' guild would be a suitable and temporary replacement of sorts. Natsu had come to the conclusion that he could not wallow around in his own pity for the rest of his life. Sure that lingering pain would remind him of his loss from time to time, and of course he would never forget the most precious people to his heart, but Natsu was determined to live his life as best as he could for the sake of the ones he loved.

Natsu held a soft smile at the thought; wherever his parents and Igneel may be, he hoped they would be looking upon him with happiness and love. Surely they wouldn't want him to waste his life fixed upon loss and grief. No; they would surely want the best for him.

The guild known as Fairy Tail, as said by the cheeky, old man from his previous encounter, seemed to be the potential source for someone like him, who had only known grief and sorrow his whole life. Perhaps the joy and bonds they shared at this guild would melt the cold and wary

persona that he had been carrying recently.

However, there was one thing standing in the way of this heaven-sent opportunity that could lead to Natsu's happiness.

' _Tartaros_ ' Natsu thought, mixed feelings associated with the name.

On one hand, Natsu had formed many companions at this guild. _His_ guild. The pleasant memories of being able to gather with beings who were just like him.

' _Demons_ '. They had been outcasts. Ridiculed for their differences and power. It was just like humans; condemning and persecuting the things they feared, the things they did not know and the the things they could not comprehend.

That sort of thinking was what had caused the Dragon King Festival to begin with. Discrimination against the races. Everyone wanted to be better than the other. Pride, the pride in believing one's own superiority to another.

It was true. Humans, Dragons and Demons alike were always in conflict, and always for the most foolish of reasons.

With a loud sigh and a shake of his head, Natsu cleared his head of his wandering thoughts, ' _No point in contemplating the social relations of the races_ '. Besides, this subject was quite touchy for Natsu considering his past… this subject was best left untouched for now.

Back to the previous line of thought, while he had found a place to belong, and formed comrades that he had trusted, the guild Tartaros had not done much good for Earth Land.

Scratch that, they had done no good at all! They had been classified as a dark guild, and recognized as a part of the Balam Alliance: one of the three strongest dark guilds in Fiore.

It was quite amusing how Tartaros had been deemed a dark guild, simply because their guild consisted of only demons.

At that point in time, Tartaros had not done anything for them to be considered a dark guild; they simply existed as a place where demons could come together without the fear of discrimination; that had been the reason he created the guild in the first place.

That had been the catalyst for Tartaros to start their violent and bloody outbreak. Members had taken the news with anger and hostility. They began to fight back against the humans that had labelled them as monsters: destroying villages and attacking other guilds were some of the few things they had done to show their anger.

Knowing this, Natsu had to confront Tartaros, the guild he had founded.

He had to know what their intentions were following all that had happened.

Would they continue their violent and dark ways? Would they continue to plot against humanity? He certainly would not let them if that was the case. Hopefully the fact that he was once their leader would be enough to sway their goals and intentions.

It had been centuries since Natsu had physically step foot in his guild, but seemed like a few years due to his transport into the future. Unless the Cube had been doing some travelling, the Cube which holds the Tartaros building would not be hard to find.

It had been hidden in an area that was uncivilized by men. The terrain was dry and infertile, while dangerous monsters of all sorts roamed the lands. It was in all aspects, Demon territory. It was unlikely that the guild had changed it's last location.

However, his nose had already remembered the smell of many of his comrades. It would only be a matter of time before he finds his guilds and confronts their intentions.

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The Tartaros guild had been not very hard to find. Although it was not in the exact same location, it still remained within a relative distance to the location he had stored in his memory. Some quick help from his nose had made the task much more easier for Natsu, picking up the scents of demons nearby to his original destination.

Natsu now stood on a small hill, overseeing the large guild ahead of him. Dark grey skies forming the background to the massive, daunting building that made up the Tartaros guild hall.

It resembles a castle, in terms of structure: cone-shaped pillars and columns were aligned in front of and on top of the large square-shaped hall. It was made up of dark, grey bricks, complementing the similarly dark skies. Open windows lining each floor as if welcoming the surrounding darkness, with a large gated entrance that seemed to dare anyone who passed to approach the haunted looking building.

So many memories, both good and bad were associated to this building, but now was not the time to reflect on these things. He had the past few days since he had regained those memories to do so, and now was the time to confront the source of those memories.

Natsu knew he would probably lose if a battle were to be the outcome of his untimely visit, so he was aiming to be hospitable and peaceful in terms of the talks and negotiations. His previous role as the Guild Master would hopefully put him in a safe spots, but nothing was confirmed in this situation.

But there was no other choice. This had to be done. For the sake of himself, his future guild-mates and humanity, he had to confirm their intentions, and hopefully thwart any vicious plans.

Natsu began his descent down the hill, further approaching the eery building in front of him. The first step to his plan was to secure a meeting with the current or temporary master. Natsu would cross his fingers that the one they put in charge would be someone he knew well.

Approaching the large, menacing door, Natsu was just about to attempt to open it when suddenly a large golem appeared before him. It was a large creature, standing well over 10 feet, guarding the entrance behind it.

" **What business do you have with Tartaros, foolish human?! Do you not know that this is Demonic Territory? We feed on tiny insects such as yourself and crush our enemies without remorse**." The golem spoke in a low, rumbling voice. As it finished it's entrance speech, the golem began to slowly approach Natsu as a sign of hostility.

"I am well aware that this area and the surrounding regions have been marked as Demonic, however I have important business that must be discussed with the Guild Master immediately." Natsu defended himself calmly.

Surprised by the lack of fear in Natsu's voice, the Golem quickly hardened his voice, harshly saying, " **An insignificant human like you has no business with the Master, and neither are you welcome! Coming here was your biggest mistake, insect! DIE!** " The golem now charged himself at Natsu, prepared to end his life for his audacious demands.

"I demand to speak to your leader under the authority of the Demonic Code. It is stated in Chapter 1, Section 12 that it can be requested to speak to the leader or master of a group of wizards. Do you dare defy the code of Demonic Honour?" *

The golem was shocked speechless by this. First this human has the guts to come to the notorious guild Tartaros, and now he demands a meeting with the master in the name of the Demonic Code? Who was this human?

" **You dare mention that blasted code! As if we Demons have honour! We are violent! We are killers! I don't need to stoop to your levels of honour!** " The golem was simply bluffing at this point. He knew that he could not possibly go against the code, for fear of his own life.

Seeing that Natsu remained steadfast in his position, the Golem dropped his facade and allowed Natsu to be entered in.

"... **Fine! You're damn lucky that I'm forced to bring you in the first place. Damn human.** " With that said, the Golem turned around and opened the gate with the large key he was holding, leading Natsu deeper within the depths of Tartaros.

He followed the Golem towards what would be the Guild Master, and what could also quite possibly be his fate.

A lot rested on this upcoming confrontation, hopefully luck would be on his side and all would go well.

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At the end of the hallway was a large crimson door, with spikes and horns decorating the borders of the entrance to what could be Natsu's hell.

The silent walk through the dark hallways had done nothing to calm the anxiety in the pit of Natsu's stomach, and he wasn't sure anything  
could.

Taking one last breath to calm himself, he looked up to see the Golem turning back to the way they had come from, chuckling darkly all the way.

" **I sincerely hope you have enjoyed your stay here at Tartaros. I would say 'we hope to see you again', but that would be a lie as I'm not sure I will.** " Emitting a final chuckle, the golem continued his track back to the entrance of the guild.

Closing his eyes briefly and forcing his nerves to remain calm and collected, Natsu approached the door and knocked onto it with three loud raps onto the wooden frame.

" **Enter.** " Spoke a silky-smooth yet malicious voice from the other side of the door.

Opening the creaking indoor, Natsu calmly walked inside the Guild Master's office.

There seated on a large, golden throne that was trailed by a royal red carpet, with burning candles surrounding the aisle was none other than Mard Geer himself.

Mard Geer is a tall, lean man with long, wavy and dark purple hair, the majority of it tied into a ponytail. His messy bangs cover most of his forehead, but not enough to hide dark slanted eyes.

He is currently wearing a long, black jacket with lightly coloured lapels. The cuffs of his sleeves are also rolled up, revealing the inside to a light, pale colour as well. Underneath the jacket lies a black, v-neck shirt with plain white pants to compliment the attire. Plain black boots complete his outfit.

Noticing the presence of another in his midst, the purple-haired man focuses on the one who has come to approach him.

Sensing that the one before him is not a Demon, he immediately begins to interrogate the pink-haired boy before him.

" **Speak of your intentions here? For I am Mard Geer, the leader of Tartaros. Thou dost not have any Demonic blood running through your veins. Tell me how one such as yourself was able to achieve an audience with the King of the Underworld.** "

Natsu was shocked speechless; not due to Mard Geer's presence or his opening speech to him, but because of a large, crimson book titled 'E.N.D.' that was currently in the hands of Mard Geer.

After failing to answer after a few moments of time, Mard Geer frustratingly exclaimed, " **Answer me boy, do not forget who you are currently facing. For I, Mard Geer, can wipe your existence out with the snap of a finger.** "

Ignoring the obvious threat, Natsu began to explain his purpose, "I have come here so that I may ask you the intentions of this guild. What are the goals you have placed? Do you plan on doing something that may concern the rest of the occupants of Earth Land?"

" **And who are you to come ask me such things? Surely you realize the foolishness in believing that Mard Geer, the leader of Tartaros, would divulge such sensitive information to someone like you.** "

This was it for Natsu: the make or break situation. Things could go one of two ways from this point on. Either a peaceful and welcoming reunion between former comrades… otherwise…

"That is where you are mistaken Mard Geer, for I am not someone who is unworthy as to ask for information such as this. You may, however, recognize me if I were to introduce myself properly."

Natsu calmly walked closer to the large throne where Mard Geer remained seated, all the while the book remained closely tucked against the Demon's chest.

"I am Etherious Natsu Dragneel, otherwise known as E.N.D. I am certain such information should be accessible for the previous Guild Master, no?"

If Mard Geer was shocked, than his face did not show such features. He all the while remained perfectly still throughout the introduction, not an ounce of emotion that would give anything away.

Suddenly, a low chuckle was heard echoing around the dimly lit room. Those chuckles soon escalated into full grown laughter, both loud and uncontrollable.

Eventually they died down, and Mard Geer composed himself further so that he may address the one in front of him.

With a dark smirk, Mard Geer spoke saying, " **Is that so? If memory serves me correctly our E.N.D. was a most powerful demon, both in battle and in leadership. He took all of us demons and gave us somewhere to belong. He was admired for both his great strength and his care for Demons, while also being absolutely ruthless when necessary.** "

Pausing shortly to take in Natsu's appearance, Mard Geer continued, " **However the resemblance you both share is uncanny. Do you mean to tell me, Mard Geer, that after you abandoned us all for over 400 years, the high and mighty E.N.D. has been reduced to such a pitiful state? How the mighty have fallen indeed.** "

"The situation regarding my disappearance was out of my hands. I did not leave you all on my own will, however I cannot change what has happened. Besides I have not come here to discuss the times of old, but the present and the future."

" **You are deluded if you believe you have any purpose being here. Your reign as the Guild Master has ended, and the plans of Tartaros no longer concerns you.** "

With a click of annoyance on Natsu's part and a smirk of cruel pleasure on Mard Geer's, the Demon continued his antagonization.

" **The Tartaros you had built was based on camaraderie: it was a home where Demons of all kind could come together to be themselves, to be free. You were naive, even to this day you are still naive; always believe in the good of others and attempting to make the best out of every scenario. However you had taken away the basic nature of Demons and had turned them into what they were not. Violent killers turned passive, those who lusted for blood suddenly gave up their ways. Your leadership took away the qualities that had made us Demons, and changed us into things we should not have been.**

 **The guild Tartaros no longer seeks such trivial things such as friendships or acceptance. Tartaros now lives on the strength of our power; the strong ones survive and will rise in power. That is what a Demonic Guild should be: where strength is valued above all else, and where only the strong will find recognition and value.** "

The more and more Mard Geer spoke, the more Natsu realizes how his plans were beginning to crack and break under the tension and conflict of their beliefs. It seemed unlikely that an agreement of sorts would be made in the following moments.

" **You have no place here anymore. You who were once the strongest of all the Demons in Tartaros, are now a weak and petty little being. You should leave before I end your petty existence like I have always wished to do.** "

Natsu was silent for a moment, a flat line displayed on his mouth. He was certain that if he did not tread carefully in the next few moments, he could lose his life. Unsure of his next course of action, he decided to stall for a little more time until he could formulate a strategy.

"...Tell me… has everyone accepted your position as Guild Master? And the change in ideals it has brought?"

" **It was actually quite easy indeed. After your sudden disappearance, everyone was shocked and heart broken. The morale was at an all-time low, with everyone wallowing in depression and pity, _especially a certain gold-horned demoness_. It was very easy for me to take that absent role of leader, all the while comforting them all and using their wild emotions to line their beliefs with mine own. I blamed the humans for your 'untimely demise' and so did they. Humanity had become the centre of blame, and their hatred and grief was targeted on them. It was therefore very simple to have their shattered and manipulated hearts to agree to whatever I told them to do.**" With a cruel smirk, Mard Geer looked down at Natsu, who was now seething with anger.

"You manipulative bastard! How could you use their emotions against them like that. You took such kind-hearted and peaceful people, and turned them against everything I've ever wanted this guild to be! YOU _FUCKING MANIPULATIVE_ SNAKE! HOW _DARE_ YOU?!" Forgetting about all his peaceful intentions, Natsu exploded in a fit of absolute fury. To hear his comrades be abused and manipulated in such a way was too much for him to possibly control.

" **What can I say, perhaps it is within my nature to be a 'manipulative bastard' as you so elegantly put it. However, it is true that I manipulated their emotions for the advancement of my own plans. But can you blame me? After all it was because you abandoned us that such a situation arose in the first place. If E.N.D. had remained to be the steadfast and charismatic leader that he had been, none of these demons would ever follow my lead. You have no one to blame but yourself for allowing your 'precious' comrades to be lead astray by the evil intentions of Mard Geer.** "

A surge of guilt swept through Natsu's heart. For it was true; although he did not intentionally leave Tartaros to fend on its own, the harsh reality was he abandoned them when he was most needed.

Natsu remembers all the pain and guilt he suffered because he was 'abandoned' by Igneel and possibly his true parents. Was this the same pain that his comrades had felt when he had disappeared? And it had only been a couple of months for Natsu so far, but for these Demons, over 400 years…

The guilt was visible on Natsu's face, and Mard Geer smirked in triumph, achieving what he hoped would be an emotional blow on the one before him.

" **Now that your presence is out of the way, I am free to accomplish my true desires. That is to completely exterminate the human race. After they are wiped of the face of Earth Land, we Demons will be able to reunite with our Lord Zeref and fulfill our destiny.** "

Another mentioning of that accursed name that brought Natsu another round of painful memories, what with that name being linked to the destruction of peaceful Iwakuni…

And again that name was being brought up by Mard Geer, however this time in a new light. After Natsu had gained his memories regarding his life as E.N.D., he was aware that Zeref was the creator of the Demons of the Books of Zeref. However… he was not sure that applied to him. Something deep within him conflicted with this thought; added to the fact that he had a few brief memories of his human mother. Natsu was conflicted with these thoughts, but cast them aside for now.

" **It is hopeless if you are planning on stopping me. With no power at your grasp, you will not defeat me, neither will I allow you to convince any of the Demons to join your side.** "

"That may be true… However, I can not allow you to continue down this path. This is my guild as well, and I will do everything in my power to stop you from destroying what I've created in this guild!"

" **FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!** "

A large pillar of flames erupted from Natsu's mouth heading directly for Mard Geer at amazing speeds. However, before the flames reached it's target, Mard Geer performed a complex hand gesture and calmly spoke out the curse " **Thorns**."

A large group of over a dozen thick, green thorns sprung from the ground around Marg Geer and began encompassing the flames, before fully surrounding them and caving in on itself, destroying both attacks instantly.

" **You should not be testing the power of those who are so obviously leagues above you. Your foolishness in coming here will prove to be your downfall. Rose Explosion.**"

Roses composed of pure curse power began to erupt from thin air, attempting to engulf Natsu in their lethal explosions. He leapt around them, narrowly avoiding their explosions. Flipping backwards to avoid the last of the encompassing blasts, Natsu panted for breath after the ruthless attacks he had just endeavoured.

" **Is that all you can offer me in your current state? Two simple Curses and you are already in such a disheveled state. Perhaps I should just kill you now and be rid of it. Or… I can slowly torture you to death, allowing you to slowly suffer and endure the deep hatred I have always held for you.**"

Suddenly springing to his feet and dashing with renewed fervor, Natsu lit his fists ablaze, hoping to salvage something of this hopeless-looking battle.

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!** " Natsu pulled back and released the flaming punch with the momentum of his whole flying body adding to the force of his attack. However, Mard Geer had remained silent and still throughout the ordeal, and the result of the attack clearly showed why.

With a calm hand raised in defence, Mard Geer easily deflected the forceful attack to the side. Sighing in annoyance, more than anything.

" **Like a persistent fly, you refuse to lay down and accept defeat when it is so clearly in front of you. It was wrong of me to ever consider holding back on you. I will now destroy you like the tiny bug you are.** "

It was now that Natsu would implement the strategy he had been planning all this time, now being the perfect time when Mard Geer would be least on guard.

Quickly pulling on the long red carpet that lined the floor leading to the large throne. Natsu raised it with force and speed, forcing Mard Geer to jump back to avoid being caught underneath his feet.

While he was slightly retreating, Natsu powered up his final spell, hopefully what would be enough to see his plan through.

" **Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!** " Swiping his arms in a circular motion, a powerful torrent of destructive flames were unleashed from his hands.

Expecting such an attack to be released after the quick surprise which forced him to fall back, Mard Geer avoided the attack by simply jumping to the side, dodging rather than attempting to block such a powerful attack.

" **Was that the ace up your sleeve? If you believe such an amateur strategy would actually catch me off guard and defeat me, then you are sorely mistaken.** "

However, instead of back down from the words, Natsu grinned in satisfaction. Pointing behind Mard Geer. "I wasn't aiming for you."

Looking back to see what had happened, Mard Geer's eyes widened in shock when he saw his throne of gold, melted into liquid, with huge chunks of both the wall and surrounding floor being utterly destroyed.

However the loss of his throne was not what had him gaping in shock. It was the book of E.N.D. that lay in the middle of the puddle of liquid gold, and it was _opened_.

How could he be so foolish?! Allowing the book to be out of his possession and falling for his trap like that!? It was ridiculous!

Suddenly the book started dissolving into dark particles and absorbing themselves inside of Natsu. He gasped in sudden pain and shock as the Demonic Powers began to reconnect themselves and form within his body. He felt something within him click, as if he had access to a door that was previously unavailable to him. He had his Demonic Powers back. And with those powers came a few shocking memories.

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 _"It is quite unfortunate that such measure had to be taken, but your death was so untimely. This is for the best though. I have finally done it, you've been brought back to life, Natsu."_

 _"E.N.D. or rather, Etherious Natsu Dragneel. That is who you are now, a human reincarnated as a Demon by my hand. After all the trouble I've been through you can finally be alive again."_

 _"Zeref" a voice whispered inside his head._

 _"...Zeref" the voice whispered again._

 _And again. And it continued to chant that name until it was unbearable. Unable to handle the overload and noise that continued within his head, Natsu screamed aloud._

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"ZEREF!" Natsu screamed aloud in the midst of Mard Geer, back in the position he once was not a moment ago. Natsu was panting and clutching at his hair with a vice like grip. It had felt like an eternity to him, but was merely milliseconds in reality.

Not properly composed in front of a raging and slightly confused Mard Geer, Natsu decided that now would be the time he would have to tactically retreat. He had just gained access to his Demonic Powers, but he had no clue as how to control them or to use them.

Stancing himself in a preparation for retreat, Natsu solemnly swore to Mard Geer, "I will return, and I will return with a powerful vengeance. Your plans to obliterate humanity will be stopped by my hand, and I will take back the Guild that belongs under my control."

With that said, Natsu retreated through the entrance he came through, jumping out of one of the many open windows that lined the dark hallways of Tartaros and into the darkness of night outside.

Further fighting would be fruitless, as Natsu was completely exhausted of stamina and power. He would have to train harder in order to make good of his word, and he would also have to train his newfound powers that he gained access to.

He could feel the dark, destructive power that was now flowing within him, and the negative emotions that came with it's presence. He would need to control his powers to do his own bidding, and not allow it to control him: such Dark and Powerful curses needed to be properly controlled or else it would corrupt the user, which was Natsu himself.

As he fled the Guild Hall, making his way out of Demonic Territory, Natsu thought back to the events that transpired and the words that Mard Geer had spoken.

It was true. He had abandoned the ones who had depended on Natsu, and it made him feel terrible. He hated the fact that he had caused such pain to befall his comrades and friends.

' _Especially a certain gold-horned demoness._ ' A slight blush made it's way on Natsu's face as he remembered the taunting words of Mard Geer. He had to clear his head of all these negative thoughts now. He had to focus on the future, not any of his past actions or mistakes.

Looking onto the future meant looking towards his goals and ambitions; which would now lie in a new guild that he would soon be joining.

' _Fairy Tail._ '

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 **AN: I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter! I have been contemplating different scenarios and different ways I could make this chapter, and I'm really proud with the way it turned out; I hope all of you reading have enjoyed it as well!**

 **Natsu has finally addressed the demons in his closet (please don't kill me), and he's ready to head on towards Fairy Tail. Will Natsu be prepared to go against his previous guild? What will he do to stop Mard Geer? We'll both have to wait and see…**

 ***I got this idea from something that was done in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies called 'parley'. Pretty much lets you talk to the Captain (Leader) and you are guaranteed safety.**

 **Had to add that cheeky mention of Sayla… Now, I have no idea what the pairing (if there will be any) of this story will be. Nevertheless, this story will be mainly focusing on Natsu's story, so I'm not sure if Romance will be a big aspect of this story, but, you never know! We'll see what happens…**

 **If you've got any ideas, comments or questions, let me know! I'm always open to your feedback. Thanks for the continued support, and be on the lookout for the next chapter!**


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